Abstract
Rigenera® is a novel class-1 medical device that produces micro-grafts enriched of progenitors cells without ex vivo manipulation of donor tissues. The manufacturer’s protocol has been supported for a wide variety of clinical uses in the field of regenerative medicine. This study aimed to evaluate its potential use for in vitro cell models. Human primary oral fibroblasts were cultured under standard conditions and processed through Rigenera® over a time course of up to 5 min. Cell viability was assessed using a Trypan Blue exclusion test. It is possible to process fibroblasts through Rigenera® although an initial reduction of cell viability was observed. Additionally, debris was evident in the cell suspension of the processed samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microanalysis of the debris and electron energy-loss spectroscopy confirmed the presence of metal wear possibly due to the processing conditions used in this study. Interestingly, pore sizes within Rigeneracons® grids were found to range between 250–400 μm. This is the first report assessing the suitability of Rigenera® and Rigeneracons® for in vitro applications. Whilst Rigenera® workflow was found to be amenable to laboratory uses, our results strongly suggest that further research and development is necessary to support the utilization of this technology for enrichment of micro-graft derived cells and cell sorting in vitro.
Highlights
Research in the field of stem cells and their potential application in regenerative medicine have captured attention in the 21st century
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microanalysis of the debris and electron energy-loss spectroscopy confirmed the presence of metal wear possibly due to the processing conditions used in this study
Whilst Rigenera®workflow was found to be amenable to laboratory uses, our results strongly suggest that further research and development is necessary to support the utilization of this technology for enrichment of micro-graft derived cells and cell sorting in vitro
Summary
Research in the field of stem cells and their potential application in regenerative medicine have captured attention in the 21st century. A major shortcoming that continues to hinder the translation of stem cell research from bench to bedside is the ex vivo manipulation of donor tissues, a necessary step to isolate progenitor cells This is currently achieved using chemical agents. Using the Rigenera® protocol, in just one surgical procedure, the patient is both donor and recipient of calibrated micro-grafts This takes place within a single procedural time and is is capable of enriching micrograft-derived progenitors cells for regeneration within the recipient site [7]. Previous studies have demonstrated the in vivo use of Rigenera® technology to improve the healing of bone lesions [18], wound healing [7,8,9,17,18,19], and management of ulcers [19] Because this technology was designed for clinical applications, no information is available about the suitability of this device for potential in vitro application. In the present study we aimed to assess if the Rigenera® workflow could be utilized as an alternative cell sorting technique for laboratory research and further, to characterize the effect of Rigenera® workflow on the viability of primary cultured fibroblasts and on the quality of the processed samples
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